Galaxy Archaeology with Globular Clusters in the Local Universe

Globular clusters are important fossil tracers for deciphering the archaeological record of star formation and mass assembly in galaxies, with strong implications for cosmological models. However, globular cluster systems in the nearest galaxies, where we can observe the most detailed information, have not yet been extensively studied. The goal of this project is to exploit data from a new generation of wide-field telescopic surveys to construct the first complete and detailed characterization of nearby cluster systems, and address the links between these observed properties and the evolutionary histories of the host galaxies. These results will constitute an invaluable new component to our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution.